Equality
The Equality Act 2017 aims to create equal opportunities and fair access for people in our community. The Act establishes both legal rights and legal obligations. The rights provide protection for individuals from different types of prohibited behaviour in specific situations. The types of behaviour are known as discrimination, harassment or victimisation. The Act also creates a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities.
Discrimination means treating someone unfairly because of who they are.
The Equality Act 2017 protects those who possess a certain characteristic known as 'protected characteristics' – we all have some of these characteristics.
These characteristics are:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage or civil partnership (in employment only)
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
The Act protects an individual from discrimination by:
- employers
- businesses and organisations which provide goods or services like banks, shops, hotels and cafes
- hospitals, GPs and care homes
- someone a person rents or buys a property from like a local authority, private landlord or an estate agent
- schools, college or other education providers
- private clubs and associations with 25 or more members like golf clubs and children’s activity clubs, such as scouts or guides
- transport services like taxis or
- public bodies like government departments and local authorities
Find out more about:
- Who is protected against discrimination
- Types of discrimination and exemptions
- Examples of discrimination by sector
- Making reasonable adjustments
- Equal pay
- Public Sector Equality Duty
- Action you can take
To view the full Equality Act 2017 and explanatory notes. (these explanatory notes are subject to change).
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